"Nate! Eric! Time to get up and get ready for school! I'll be serving breakfast soon!" their mother called up from the bottom of the staircase.
The fact that she was still in her werecat fursona didn't matter in a household where their father was a werefox, Nate was a werewolf and Eric a were-merman.
Eric awoke with a start, interrupting sweet dreams of his fiance Julie Stovall, the were-mermaid he loved. He looked and saw that he was still within his Stage 1 form, displaying the webbing between his fingers and toes that all were-mers had.
Eric knew he could easily will it away and resume his normal form, but decided to wait until he absolutely had to, for even just showing this slight feature made him feel physically closer to his beloved despite the fact she was at her house.
Nate has it harder than me, Eric realized, since werewolves were much taller and more muscular. I'm about the same height in either form, but Nate grew just by joining. Some of the changes in what's now his normal form could be passed off as a result of puberty, but a lot of weres look like they could be models or body builders when not furry. Even mom and dad look better now than they did before we left Minnesota. I hope this whole reveal thing works out for everyone, he prayed, while getting dressed for the day.
The Brothers Anderson met and exchanged good mornings in the outer hallway on their way downstairs for breakfast.
They didn't think twice about seeing a feline cooking in the kitchen, but did wonder, "Where's Dad?"
"He had to go to the college early for some meeting," their mother answered, while finishing the pancakes.
"More trouble because of what the Town Council is considering?" asked Nate.
"Ways to deal with it, from my understanding," Martha Anderson said, as her boys sat at the table.
"I hope they don't cancel after school activities again today," replied Nate. "We really need to practice for the exhibition flag football game on Thanksgiving Day."
"Julie and I were supposed to talk to our student advisor about maybe starting up chess and book clubs yesterday, but never got the opportunity," complained Eric.
"Well, I'm sure it will all work out in time," said their mother, as she started serving breakfast.
"Say mom, what side of the issue are you on?" wondered Nate.
"What do you mean?" she asked in return, sitting down to eat with her sons.
"Are you for or against the reveal?"
"Truthfully? I'm not sure," admitted Martha Anderson. "One one hand, I love the new me and would love to be able to be this way all year round, no matter where I am," she said, turning just a bit in her seat to show off her sleek feline form. "On the other paw, I worry about how the rest of the world will accept the news once they do find out weres exist, especially in regards to you two."
"Really?" asked Eric.
"No matter how old their children are, a parent will always worry about them," said their mom. "If this reveal does happen and it backfires, I can't help worrying about the backlash against were society in general, let alone the effects it might have upon you two and the ones you love."
"Like you and dad," said Eric.
"Or Julie, or Alex, let alone their families," replied Martha, thinking about Eric's lady and Nate's boyfriend.
"But the plan, once the Town Council comes up with one and enacts it, is only supposed to reveal that weres exist and that we're no threat to anyone. Not WHERE we are," said Nate.
"That's the plan. Reality might be different than expected," said Martha. "After all, it's been my experience that bigots don't really need a logical reason to hate something or someone."
"True," agreed Eric, thinking about how he was bullied back in Minnesota for just being a nerd.
"Well, I can't blame you for wanting to stay hidden if the reveal backfires," agreed Eric.
"Yeah, but if it's successful, would you come out of the fur closet, so to speak? Alex and I are going to," revealed Nate.
"You mean walk around in broad daylight as werewolves?" asked Eric.
"Yep!" Nate said proudly. "Provided the reveal does go off successfully," he hastily added, seeing the look of concern on his mom's face.
"Your father and I have discussed it, but haven't reached a final decision yet," announced their mom. "On one hand, there is the concern about what if it all goes horribly wrong. Then again, what good is revealing weres exist if none of them are going to display their fursonas?"
"That's the one drawback to being a were-mer," complained Eric. "We can walk around okay in our Stage 2 forms if necessary," he said, thinking about how not only would the webbing between his fingers and toes be displayed, but the scales on his legs from the waist down too. "But we'd literally be fish out of water in Stage 3, since that's when our legs fuse to form the full mer tail."
"I know dear," said Martha, reaching out to take her son's hand in her paw. "But you and Julie truly love each other and in the end, that's all that really matters," to which Eric smiled.
MEANWHILE...
Jenny Harper-Jenkins, still in her werevixen form, awoke and kissed her sleeping husband Harry on the tip of his werefox nose.
Quietly, she got out of bed and left their room to answer Nature's "call", but was surprised to see her younger sister Janice Harper waiting for her in the hallway.
"What's up honey?" Jenny asked, affectionately running a paw through her hair, but careful not to scratch her since Janice was still a normal human being.
"I just wanted to warn you. I don't know the details, but I think John had another nightmare last night,"* she said, referring to her younger brother.
"Oh," said Jenny, looking with great concern at the closed guest room door at the end of the hall. "Well, Harry and I will be taking him to see Doctor Twist later today, so hopefully she'll get to the bottom of everything soon."
"Good. John really likes Ginger O'Toole," began Janice, referring to the weretigress that lived a few doors down from the Jenkins household, "but if Dad were here..."
"I know sweetheart," said Jenny, not telling her younger sister that there was more to deal with than their estranged father. "But right now it's time to wash up and get ready to face the day."
"Okay," said Janice. "Race you to the bathroom!" she added, before taking off down the hall.
Jenny let a smile briefly cross her vulpine muzzle even as thoughts of her younger brother continued to cross her mind.
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*He did, at the end of our recent Andersons episode: "Late Night Matters".—tmw.